


Anxious Butterflies, or Something More?

by TwoPercentMalk



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: (heart locket opens) Barcus my beloved, Also because I couldn't resist writing about all three ships lmao, And also about his parents, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dress/skirt Ed actually has plot relevance, Edric worries about being a good brother, Emira: YOU'RE INSANE, F/F, Fluff, I believe in dress/skirt Edric supremacy, Jerbo is a gay mess, M/M, Meanwhile Ed is just being his chaotic dumbass self, Meanwhile I'm just projecting my experiences with various insecurities onto Jerbo, Romance, This entire work is me projecting my gayness onto background characters and you cannot stop me, Viney: your brother looks gnc af, You may have a lil bit of Vinem and Lumity as a treat, all my homies hate the blight parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-28 19:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30144243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoPercentMalk/pseuds/TwoPercentMalk
Summary: Jerbo has been crushing on Edric Blight for over a year now, but never got up the courage to even approach him. Now, Ed seems to keep popping up wherever Jerbo turns, leading to what is both the best- and worst-case scenario: spending time together.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Barcus & Jerbo & Viney (The Owl House), Edric Blight & Emira Blight, Edric Blight/Jerbo, Emira Blight/Viney
Comments: 22
Kudos: 27





	1. Definitely Not a Study Date

**Author's Note:**

> If Viney/Emira can be a crackship, so can Jerbo/Edric, and I will die on this hill. These witches gay. Good for them.

Jerbo was a mess. His face was too sharp, his nose, chin, and cheekbones far too angular. The acne removal potions he purchased never seemed to do their job, and his hair stuck up from his head like he’d been zapped with a lightning spell. He was tall and gangly, still not used to his height. The baggy clothing he had begun wearing barely managed to conceal how scrawny he was. He didn’t even have cool wings or giant horns like some of his classmates. Maybe his bony elbows could be used for self-defense in a pinch, but that was about it.

It didn’t help that he was only just rejoining the larger student body after his stint in the detention track. He had never been the most socially adept, and most of his interactions had been limited to Viney, Barcus, and Luz, after the human had agreed to keep in touch with everyone after the whole basilisk fiasco. Only a few weeks later, everyone else seemed to be moving on. Viney was casual and easygoing around others, Luz was constantly surrounded by her friends, and Barcus… well, Barcus never felt much of a need to talk. Even if he did, it’s not as if many people would be able to understand him.

Even the thought of trying to step out of his tiny comfort zone made Jerbo’s stomach squirm. He had no idea how the others managed it. Their days in the detention track would’ve passed in awkward silence if not for Viney. Plus, without her, they wouldn’t have found their room of shortcuts. If he had been forced to sit there for one more day, counting the hours by how much their snoring teacher had drooled, he would’ve died of mind-numbing boredom. Thank goodness for Viney accidentally finding the entrance while writing “Six-Eyes Stinks!” with an arrow pointing to their comatose professor on the chalkboard. But now those days in detention felt like distant memories from a bygone age. They still kept in touch and hung out whenever they could, but Luz was the only one Jerbo shared classes with. He had lunch with Viney and Barcus every day, but that was barely enough time to complain about the sheer amount of homework they got saddled with. The price one must pay for taking multiple tracks, he supposed. He couldn’t even imagine how much work Luz had to crunch in.

He had been hoping that the upcoming intercurricular project would give them a chance to work together, but everyone else had chosen partners already. Luz was adamant about teaming up with the infamous Amity Blight (and, judging by her uncharacteristic excitement, Amity was  _ very _ happy about that outcome). Viney had already found a partner whose name she never brought up, and Barcus had agreed to work with another canine student from the Construction Track so they could give a 30-minute presentation on why Hexside’s resources need to be made more accessible to students lacking opposable thumbs. Seeing as his partner was a massive dobhar-chú that was strong enough to pulverize stone pillars, Jerbo was more than glad to leave them be. At least he wouldn’t be forced to group up with someone he didn’t know, thanks to being a dual-track student.

_ Presenting alone will be pure agony, but at least I’ll be able to finish quickly, _ Jerbo thought to himself. Oh, how short-lived that thought was.

“JERBOOOOOO!”

Jerbo nearly jumped out of his skin.  _ Oh, no. Be still, my beating bile sac. _ Edric Blight skidded to a stop in front of him, wheezing breathlessly. Jerbo stood frozen in place, mouth flapping like a deepwater stargazer gasping for air.

“You, uhh, know my name?” he managed to choke about, resisting the urge to slam his head against a locker.  _ Smooth, Jerbo. Smooth. _

Edric completely ignored the question. “Do you have a partner for the project?”

“What? Well, no, but - ”

“Oh thank the Titan!” Edric grabbed Jerbo by the shoulders. “Can we team up? Please? Everyone else either has a partner or just pretends I’m not there when I ask them.”

“I guess? I mean - ”

“Great!” Edric beamed at him. “I’ll see you at the library after school!”

With that, Ed dashed off down the hall, leaving a stunned, speechless Jerbo behind to try and process what happened.

_ Okay, Jerbo, nothing to worry about. Just going to the library. To study. With Edric freaking Blight. No biggie. _ He had half a mind to stuff himself into the nearest storage closet and hide there for the rest of the day. Instead, he opted to brace himself against the nearest locker (which rumbled at him in protest), slump to the ground, and bury his bogbeet-red face in his hands. He had simultaneously achieved his ultimate dream and worst nightmare. Hanging out with Edric Blight! Alone! Sitting next to each other! Talking!

_ Oh no, I have to actually talk to him. _ Jerbo groaned into his palms. Why couldn’t he just communicate with sticky notes or something? He’d hardly been within a 20-foot radius of Ed, much less actually talked with him. Wait, then how did he know Jerbo’s name? Nope, nuh-uh, that was a question for Future Jerbo to fret over. Right now, he had to prepare for what was totally, definitely, one hundred percent  _ not _ a study date.

  
  


====

  
  


It was just Jerbo’s luck that he took two of the messiest tracks in Hexside. There was never a day that he didn’t find himself covered in mulch, potting soil, abomination goo, or some combination of the three. Today was even worse than usual. On top of the usual grime, his lengthy battle with a patch of exploding petunias had left him with singed clothes and a thin layer of ash coating every square inch of exposed skin.

The moment the final bell of the day screamed, he tore out of the school faster than he’d ever run before, even when faced with out-of-control sludge golems and murderous weeds, and didn’t slow down until he reached the front door of his house. Now his hair looked even more like a rat’s nest than usual, and droplets of sweat had carved little trails in the soot that caked his face.

“Ugh, I look like even more of a mess than usual,” Jerbo groaned, staring in disbelief at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “I hope the hot water hasn’t been used up…”

He practically cried with relief when, tentatively reaching his hand underneath the showerhead, the water was still hot enough to produce steam. After taking the fastest shower of his entire life (and nearly boiling himself in the process), Jerbo flung open his closet, ransacking his room in a desperate attempt to find any clothes even remotely worth considering.

“Okay, okay, what about this?” He pulled out a simple button-up shirt, dusting off any lint that might have clung onto it.

“Meh.”

“Oh, come on, Boll! You’ve said that about everything I’ve tried!” Jerbo cried.

“Mneh.” The little sheep waddled around the room, shedding pale green cotton all over the carpet. During his time in the detention track, Jerbo had “borrowed” some seeds from Professor Rootherford’s office; if he was already breaking the rules behind Principal Bump’s back, why not go all in? Sneaking into the office without waking the dozing mammoth snapdragon the teacher kept, but years of sneaking past people to avoid having to socialize had taught him how to step as quietly as possible, so the espionage mission was a success. But even after planting a dozen seeds in all sorts of varying lighting conditions, and each with its own watering schedule and specialized soil, Jerbo had only managed to make one sprout. What was first a simple, unimpressive bulb slowly grew in size and flourished under his watchful eye, until Boll burst out in the middle of the night, rolling about on the floor and bleating incessantly until Jerbo woke up. A little over a month later and Boll had gone from being small enough to fit snugly in Jerbo’s palm to reaching about a foot in length, a small vine connecting it to the original plant like an umbilical cord. The sheep’s movement seemed to be limited to the upper floor, which Jerbo was extremely thankful for; Boll had a tendency to get stuck in all sorts of places. Its most recent escapade involved Jerbo having to coax it down from the top of the bathroom’s medicine cabinet, and he still had no idea how it even got up there in the first place.

“Well, since  _ someone _ isn’t being helpful, I guess it’s up to me…” Jerbo grumbled, sticking his head back inside the closet.

“Bleh.”

  
  


====

  
  


The Bonesborough library was a sight to behold, as always. Massive vaulted ceilings arched overhead, and pools of multicolored light formed as rays of sun seeped through the massive stained glass window overhead. It could have easily been mistaken for a cathedral, if not for the rows upon rows of books that filled the room, or the librarians shushing people at every chance they got.

Jerbo smoothed out the imaginary creases in his shirt with shaky hands. After Boll proved to be more of an annoyance (albeit a very adorable one) than an assistant, Jerbo had ended up picking out a white collared shirt and the only pair of black pants that the sheep hadn’t shed on. It wasn’t much, but he was in a rush. Besides, Edric would probably be looking anywhere but at him. He had to fight the urge to put a paper bag over his head and never take it off again.

Speaking of Edric, where were they even supposed to meet? Ed hadn’t even given him a time! He knew that the twins were impulsive, judging from the nonstop pranks they pulled at school, but Jerbo was obsessive about punctuality. He even got to detention ten minutes early, out of a paranoid fear of somehow being late. Everyone there probably thought he was insane, pacing around the entryway nonstop, but he had no idea what else to do. Go check if Ed was already there? Just wait outside for him? No, no, that would seem too much like he had been waiting to see him. Maybe Jerbo could just act like he was browsing the books. Yeah, just act casual, and -

“Hey, Jerbo!”

_ Oh no. _

Jerbo spun around, nearly losing his balance. Edric was just walking through the doors, a bright grin on his face. He was wearing a maroon coat that seemed way too hot, given how warm the weather was, along with dark leather boots and slim-fitting pants. In other words, he looked great.

“Um, yeah. Hey.” Jerbo barely managed to get the words out as the Blight brother got closer, his arms spread widely.

“I’m surprised they let me in, considering how much I’ve trashed this place before,” Ed chuckled, appraising Jerbo’s outfit. “Did you clean up just for me?”

Jerbo’s couldn’t even muster the tiniest squeak in response as Edric inched closer, eyes narrowing.

“Hold still for a sec.” He leaned forward, reaching behind Jerbo, who squeaked as he felt fingers brush past his hair. A moment later, Edric was triumphantly holding a piece of soft, light green wool between his fingers.

“Voilà! Not quite as impressive as pulling some snails from behind your ear, but I’ve still got the magic touch!” Ed smirked, wiggling his eyebrows ridiculously.

“Th-thank you,” Jerbo stuttered, running his hand past the spot where Edric had grazed his hair. He was going to have a talk with Boll about its incessant shedding as soon as he got home. “So, do you have any plans about what we’ll work on?”

“Nope!” Edric began walking further into the library. “Come on, I think they have some study areas in the back, so we won’t have to put up with other people interrupting us. It’ll be just the two of us.”

Jerbo followed in a daze, muttering “just the two of us” under his breath the entire time. The witch had been crushing on Edric for over a year now, but he had no idea he had it that badly, or that Edric would be such a flirt. Was it even flirting? If this was just how he normally acted, Jerbo wasn’t going to survive the rest of the day without melting into a blushing pile of goo. There were worse ways to go out, at least.

The back of the library was much more dimly lit, with much smaller, sparser windows than in the front. It was almost like candlelight at a romantic dinner…  _ no, Jerbo. That’s enough. You’ve reached your yearning threshold for the day. _ There were little cubbies lined along the walls, with enough room for three or four people to sit comfortably around the small table in each one. True to Edric’s word, they were completely alone.

“After you, my good sir,” the Blight boy said, pulling out a chair for the other witch. “Now I can finally take this coat off. I feel like I’m being boiled alive.”

Jerbo took his seat, pulling various folders and papers from his bag while Edric struggled to get the jacket’s zipper unstuck. He thought about offering to help, but he probably would’ve passed out on the spot if Ed agreed. Besides, Ed was counting on him for help. Maybe he would have some knowledge of abomination magic from his little sister, but plant magic was surprisingly complex.

“Finally!” Edric tugged off his coat, draping it over the chair as he sat down next to Jerbo and  _ oh no he’s hot. _ He was wearing a white long-sleeved crop top, leaving a small section of his stomach showing before his high-waisted pants cut it off.

“Um, you okay, dude?” Ed waved his hands in front of the other boy’s face, snapping him out of his stupor.

“Yeah. It. You. Good. I mean, it looks good on you,” Jerbo muttered, certain that his face was steaming hot at the moment. Edric looked a bit shocked, but his smile softened quickly.

“Thank you.” He fiddled with the hem of his shirt. “I was a bit anxious about wearing it, so I’m glad you don’t mind it.”

“Of course not.”  _ Don’t look at his abs, don’t look at his abs, don’t look at his abs. _

“Anyways.” Edric drummed his fingers on the table. “This whole project is basically just comparing and contrasting our different fields of magic and presenting on it, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Magic.” Jerbo pushed his notes to the middle of the table. “We’ll probably have more work cut out for us, comparing three tracks instead of just two, but it won’t be a big deal. I was just going to compare plants and abominations on my own, so I’ve already done most of that.”

Edric scooted his chair closer, briefly bumping against the other witch’s shoulder. His eyebrows furrowed as he scanned the hastily-scrawled notes, muttering under his breath. Meanwhile, Jerbo remained at war with his own mind.  _ Don’t look at his abs. Wait, no, don’t look at his face either! Just look at the papers in front of you. But he’s so much nicer to look at than some dumb scribbles… Okay, nope. Still can’t look at him without my face burning. _

“Well, none of this makes sense to me, so I’ll leave it to the expert here,” Edric mused, leaning back in his chair and stretching; Jerbo shut his eyes tight so he wouldn’t get caught staring again.

“Illusions magic is a lot more conceptual, I think.” The Blight twisted in his chair to face Jerbo, which seemed much more uncomfortable than just moving to sit across the table. “We don’t have formulas or directions to really work with. It’s all about what’s up here.” Ed tapped his temple. “The better you can picture something in your mind’s eye, the easier it will be to recreate that illusion. That’s why witches will have specific kinds of illusions they specialize in, like altering their own appearance or duplicating themselves. Trying to create illusions of other people is especially tricky, unless you can picture their appearance easily. Otherwise it becomes much easier to detect. Chances are you’ll mess something up, like how tall they are or forgetting they have moles.”

“Wow,” Jerbo whispered in awe. “No wonder you and your sister get such good scores.”

Edric chuckled at that, running a hand through his pine-green hair. “It’s nothing much. We’ve always been good at illusions magic. Probably the only reason we got to stay in that track. You’re the one doing two times the work here.”

“I just like both of them, and couldn’t imagine trying to pick between them.” Jerbo gave a shy smile. “It would be like trying to choose your favorite pet.”

“We’ve never had pets, but I’ll take your word for it,” Edric snorted. “But what about your work so far? Do you think you can find any similarities with my track?”

“Hmm…” Jerbo scratched his chin. “Not much in abominations. It’s almost the opposite. You just have to shape the magic so that your abomination doesn’t come out deformed, but otherwise it’s almost completely reliant on materials. Usually you begin by learning the composition of abomination sludge, and how it varies. Half the time you don’t even do magic. The teacher just tells you what you did wrong when mixing it, and sends you back to make another batch. But once you get it right, it’s incredibly magically conductive. Shaping an abomination from it becomes as easy as snapping your fingers. You can use other materials too, of course: sand, mud, even water. But that’s like trying to conduct heat through fabric. It can be done, but it will be a lot harder than conducting heat through metal. It’s even trickier to summon an abomination from nothing, and takes a lot more energy. Goes to show how far your little sister has come.”

Edric hummed in agreement. He leaned in closer, peering at the notes in contemplation. Jerbo didn’t know how it was possible for any witch to be this gorgeous, but here he was. Here  _ they _ were. Together. His hair looked so soft and feathery.  _ I wonder what it feels like. What kind of shampoo does he use? It smells nice… is that creepy? Oh Titan, that’s so creepy. But how could someone  _ not _ fall for him? _

“Hey, Edric?”

“Mm-hm?”

“C-can I...”

Whatever Jerbo was about to say was cut off by a shout.

“Yo, Jerbo!”

Viney stomped over from who-knows-where, her (admittedly rad) fishhook earring swaying in time with her stride. She had decided to forgo her Hexside uniform in favor of worn-out jeans and a tank top, probably to show off how much muscle she built up from trying to wrestle various items out of Puddles’ mouth. Behind her she was dragging another girl, dressed similarly to Edric, who looked like almost as much of a mess as Jerbo felt.

“Viney?”

“Emira?!” Edric was staring at them like they had dropped in from another dimension, which, having now met Luz, wasn’t that bizarre of a scenario.

“Look at you being all scholarly.” Viney practically threw herself into the seat across from Jerbo, dragging a mortified Emira into the chair beside her. “And now you’re chummy with Edric Blight?”

“I mean, I guess so? Maybe?”

“Sure we are!” Ed jumped in, easily matching Viney’s upbeat attitude. “But, more importantly…” He turned to face his sister, a smug grin plastered to his face. “So this is why you didn’t want to say who your partner was?”

“Shut up,” Emira groaned, burying her face in her hands.

“We troublemakers are just natural Blight magnets, I guess,” Viney bragged, shooting a not-so-discreet wink at Jerbo.

“No way. I hate you with every fiber of my being.” Emira’s words were muffled behind her hands. Viney just rolled her eyes.

“Aww, we both know you don’t. You just don’t want to admit it,  _ Emmie, _ ” she cooed in the most absurdly sugary tone of voice possible. Emira sobbed from behind her hands as her furious red blush reached the tips of her ears. Edric nearly toppled out of his chair laughing while Viney kept goading on his sister. Jerbo managed to hold his tongue, but found himself shaking uncontrollably as he took in the bright red hue that Emira’s face had taken on.

“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you!” She leaned over the table, flicking her brother on the forehead.

“I’m sure he would’ve found out either way,” Viney said soothingly, patting Emira on the shoulder. “Besides, now that he’s in on it, he can help me sneak into your bedroom so we can have surprise pillow fights.

“Uh-huh, that’s definitely why you want to hang out in my room.”

“Hey!” Now it was Viney’s turn to be flustered.

“Partners in multiple senses, huh?” Jerbo asked, adopting a smirk of his own.

“Yeah, and now that we’ve finished our project, I believe we have a reservation at the Redstone Bakery.” Viney looked at her girlfriend with pleading puppy eyes, which she had honed to perfection from watching Puddles beg for treats.

“I know, I know.” Emira stood up, ruffling Viney’s hair. “Come on, Fun-Sized. I don’t have access to all of my parents’ cash, so don’t buy one of everything.”

_ “Fun-Sized?!” _ Viney shrieked indignantly. “Oh, it’s on, Beanpole. Are you forgetting which one of us can bench two-fifty?”

“Yeah, when you can reach the weights.”

“Excuse us, gentlemen.” Viney gave an exaggerated bow to Edric and Jerbo. “I have to show  _ Emmie _ how easily I could catapult her into the sun.”

The couple marched off, bickering and lightly shoving each other the entire time, but neither of them could hide the smiles that tugged at their lips.

“Yikes,” Edric muttered. “Remind me to never get on Scary Fishhook Lady’s bad side.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t mean anything by it,” Jerbo replied. “Maybe.”

“Still scary. Besides, I think I’d like someone taller than me, anyways.”

Jerbo was acutely aware of their ever-so-slight height difference for the rest of the day. Maybe being tall and gangly had a hidden perk after all.

  
  


====

  
  


“That’s why it’s easier to replicate people or objects you know well.” Edric stood before a classroom of people while Jerbo stood to the side. They were finally getting to the tail end of the lecture, and the dual-track witch didn’t think he could take much more. He wasn’t even talking anymore, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of everyone’s eyes boring into him, waiting for him to stutter or have a slip of the tongue. Edric was much better at talking in front of crowds.

“See, if I try to cast an illusion of something I’m unfamiliar with…” Ed twirled his finger in the air, creating a replica of one of the school bullies… but with the addition of a shockingly red clown nose. Snickers drifted through the audience. Jerbo spared a glance at the teacher, who was passed out as usual. Of course Edric couldn’t resist a dig at another student. At least he had enough sense to wait until the teacher passed out. Or maybe he hadn’t even noticed, and just decided to go through with it anyway.

“But illusions and plants are, surprisingly, much more similar than you’d expect,” Edric lectured, banishing the unflattering illusion with a wave of his hand. “Just like with illusion magic, you have to know exactly what kind of plant you’re growing, and how to best accelerate that growth.” The Blight turned to his partner and nodded, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Jerbo swore his heart had stopped when he first saw Edric in glasses that morning, but now his heart rate had slowed from “gay disaster” level and was now resting at the “gay panic” pace it usually sustained whenever he thought about Edric.

Digging a hand into his pocket, Jerbo pulled out a small, oblong seed. Tiny roots had already begun to poke out of it. Closing his eyes, he concentrated intensely, using his magic to probe the seed for that little spark of life. It took a moment, but soon his focus latched onto it, that telltale warmth. It was like looking for a single star in a pitch-black sky; sooner or later, it was bound to draw your attention.

_ Okay, Jerbo. You’ve done this a thousand times before. Don’t mess up now. _ He coaxed the little ember of life to grow, allowing his magic to ebb and flow with the seedling’s own inclination. He urged stems and branches to spring forth, leaves to bud and unfurl themselves under his tender care. The seed grew heavier and heavier in his hands. After what felt like an eternity, he opened his eyes. Cupped in his hands was a tiny tree, about a foot in height. Having no earth to lodge themselves in, its roots had grown around his hands, dangling towards the floor. The shrub’s leaves were a pale blue, a rarity in the Boiling Isles. A common rustwood would normally grow bright ruddy leaves, but he had, somehow, succeeded in altering the plant’s natural tendencies with his magic.

The crowd gasped and murmured in amazement, or at least what Jerbo hoped was amazement and not mockery. He could see Luz sitting in the back row, bouncing up and down in her seat with excitement. At least he could count on her to appreciate his handiwork.

“If you pour too little magic into the plant, nothing will happen. Or, worse yet, it’ll just wither and die.” Edric prodded the leaves with a gentle touch, giving Jerbo a quick smile of encouragement before continuing his speech. “Poor too much magic in, and you’ll overload it, like giving it too much water. You could either kill it or lose control over the plant’s growth. Precision and forethought are key in both - ”

Whatever he was about to say next was interrupted by a bloodcurdling shriek, signalling the end of the period. Their lethargic teacher woke with a start, looking around in confusion as students began packing their bags.

“Huh? Oh. Yeah. Remember to do, uhh… the reading. You know the one. That one.”

Jerbo heaved a sigh of relief. Presentations were  _ not _ his strong suit. If he could just do the homework, hand it in, and go back to hiding in the back of the class, he would be more than content. At least it hadn’t gone nearly as poorly as it could have. His sapling didn’t wilt. His abomination formed without any excess limbs. Edric didn’t rig the room with whoopee cushions before class. What more could he ask for?

“That was so cool!” Luz ran up to him, dragging Edric’s little sister along behind her. “The tree just grew right in your hands! And how you made that abomination grow super tall and gangly! It looked like some weird creepypasta monster.”

“I have no idea what’s so frightening about pasta, but Edric’s the one who pulled off all of the fancy illusion stunts.” Jerbo jabbed a thumb in Ed’s direction, who was struggling to fit all of his school supplies into his bag. “Everything I did was pretty basic. Um, thanks, though.”

“Are you kidding me? That was amazing!” She pulled her hand away from the youngest Blight’s, spreading her arms wide.

“Your attention to detail is impressive,” Amity sniffed, wiping her palms against the leggings of her Hexside uniform. Jerbo had never taken her for the anxious type, considering how she carried herself at school. Or  _ had _ carried herself, until recently. Luz’s optimism seemed to have started rubbing off on her. She certainly seemed crestfallen now that the human had let go of her hand.

“Aww, did Mittens and her cavalier come to grace us with their congratulations?” Edric strutted up to them, ruffling his sister’s hair.

“Not for you.” Amity yanked his hand away with a growl. She looked like she was prepared to sink her teeth into her brother’s arm. It reminded Jerbo of when he had helped Viney babysit some splintercat cubs; he returned home that day covered in bruises and bandages. The cubs weren’t especially strong, but they were constantly snapping at him and trying to knock him over by headbutting his legs with the plates of reinforced bone on their foreheads. No wonder conservationists worked overtime to repair all the trees splintercats demolished during their hunts.

“Hey, Ed did some cool stuff too!” Luz protested. “Like that thing with that huge bat monster jumpscare!”

“It becomes a lot less impressive when he’s tried to frighten you with it for your entire life…” Amity grumbled. “Ed’s been obsessed with bats for years. You saw what he was like at the Knee, right, Luz?”

“Sir Flappington is waiting for me! He must be freezing out there, all alone!”

“And you’re gonna be freezing out there with him if you don’t stop mangling my hair!”

“Are they always like this?” Jerbo hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Part of him felt like he should intervene, but Luz was only half paying attention to them.

“Amity’s mellowed out a lot, actually. Or maybe she just doesn’t want to make a scene in front of us.” Luz walked over to the bickering siblings, wrapping her arms around Amity’s arm. “Sorry to steal you away from her, Ed, but you’ll have this whole evening to mess with her, and I promised to win Mittens a prize at Slebbit’s Sweepstakes Shack! The fact that it popped up overnight and will definitely scam us won’t be enough to stop me!”

“You’re lucky I don’t maul you for using that dumb nickname…” Amity muttered, but she let the human lead her away, her face flushing a brilliant shade of pink.

“Yeah, yeah, keep up your grumpy facade. We both know you’re a sour lil’ lemon drop with a sweet center!” Luz continued teasing her as they left the room, her sing-song tone of voice echoing throughout the school. Edric whistled, impressed.

“Dang, Luz has got some serious game.” He watched as the two witches melted into the growing crowd. “Then again, poor Mittens is severely lacking in the subtlety department.”

_ But you don’t notice when I’m just as bad? _ Jerbo reached for his book bag, only to discover that he still had a sapling wrapped around his hands. “Uh, could I get a little help? I need to go plant this somewhere before it leeches all of my magic away, and I don’t think I’m allowed to bring any more plants into the house.”

Edric chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment before clapping his hands together as an idea began to form. “I’ve got the perfect place! Here, give me your bag and I’ll lead the way.”

  
  


====

  
  


“Are you sure this doesn’t count as trespassing?”

The two boys were kneeling amongst looming trees, their canopies so closely clustered together that only small, mottled patches of sunlight managed to reach the ground. After several minutes of searching, they had managed to find a patch of earth with ample light and space.

“Hey, I’m gonna be inheriting some of this land, so I get to plant what I want.” Ed glared in the direction of Blight Manor, barely visible through the close-knit tree trunks. “Besides, it’s not like my parents ever out here. They’re either holed up at home off on a trip to some hoity-toity meeting to get on the Emperor’s good side.”

“If you’re sure…” Jerbo replied uncertainly, blowing his bangs out of his face. It hadn’t taken very long to get from Hexside to the Blight family estate, but the rustwood sapling had been draining his magic stores bit by bit, and he’d prefer not to pass out from overexerting his bile sac, especially in front of Edric Blight himself. Lowering his hands to the ground, he exerted his will over the plant once again, gently urging the roots to burrow into the soil. The tree slowly released its grip, almost crawling out of his hands as it found its footing in the soil. Slowly pulling his hands away once the sapling had properly steadied itself, the witch admired his handiwork. The rustwood’s delicate blue leaves still stuck out against the flaming red foliage of its neighbors, but otherwise seemed to be right at home.

“I’ll be sure to check on it,” Edric said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them as Jerbo worked. “And I’ll call you if I need help with it, since no one in this family has a green thumb.”

“I doubt anything will happen to it.” The plant witch was acutely aware of how close together they were kneeling. At least sustaining the sapling had kept him preoccupied; now there was nothing to distract him from how the sunlight made Edric’s hair glitter like emeralds, or how the shade the branches cast made his cheekbones stand out. Either Ed was trying to be polite by ignoring how loudly Jerbo’s heart was beating, or he needed to get his hearing checked.

“Maybe we can start a little garden out here,” the Blight murmured thoughtfully, carefully stroking one of the rustwood’s icy blue leaves. “It can be our secret project, whenever we aren’t swamped with schoolwork.”

“...I’d like that.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I've had this idea for a while, because these boys deserve love in the fandom, too.
> 
> Also, if anyone's curious for whatever reason, I like drawing a lot on actual cryptids and putting them into fanfics as Easter eggs, so you can probably expect more of them. Boll was inspired by the Lamb of Tartary, aka how Europeans rationalized cotton when they heard it was like wool growing from plants, and the splintercats are inspired by a North American cryptid of the same name, albeit with small creative differences in their description. Just imagine a cougar with a plate of bone on its head that it uses to crush trees. Lastly, the dobhar-chú is essentially a dog-otter-fish monster that lives in lakes. I just thought that Barcus needed another Canine Comrade(tm).
> 
> Similarly, I like planting Easter eggs from other fanfics, too, so those might appear in the future as well. Viney and Emira already know that Redstone Bakery is a prime date locale.


	2. A Roll of the Dice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a lot shorter, but consider it a sort of intermission that gives some context to the next big event. Also, the detention kids deserve their time in the spotlight together without the Blights. Let them have this.

“Are you kidding me?!” Viney shrieked, slapping a palm against her forehead as the wild card reduced her deck to cinders. “This has got to be some oracle track BS.”

Barcus scoffed, stacking his deck as best he could with unopposable paws. He could just use magic, but he had begun to make a point of using his paws for increasingly trickier tasks as an act of defiance against those with the ability to properly grip things.

“I swear he is up to something…” Viney grumbled, sweeping the ashes into her hands.

“No, I think he’s just that good.” Jerbo was lying with his back against the floor, his hands covering his face. Barcus had already beaten him 5-0, and was now proceeding to trounce Viney, who had sworn to avenge Jerbo after his humiliating defeat.

“Hrmff,” Barcus snorted, giving them both a smug grin. At least, Jerbo was pretty sure it was supposed to be a smug grin. It was either that or he was baring his teeth menacingly at them, but Barcus was about as relaxed as you could get, so it was probably the first option. Hopefully.

“Why do we even humor him? We do this every single time you guys stay over, and he’s still undefeated!” Viney collapsed onto her bed with a groan, the old wood creaking in protest. Even though her house was at the furthest outskirts of Bonesborough, it had become the troublemakers’ go-to meeting spot. The house itself, a strange fusion between a log cabin and a ranch house, was a small, compact building, with barely enough room for a ground floor and an attic (leading to Jerbo repeatedly hitting his head on the roof whenever he made too sudden of a movement), but the massive fenced-in range they had access to was enough to rival the wealthiest family’s property size. Viney’s parents had both met through their work in the beastkeeping coven, and ended up pooling their resources together to create a colossal ranch that inhabited by all sorts of fauna, from the brass goose (its golden cousin was exclusively cared for in conservatories) to some of the more… intimidating creatures. All witches were obligated to wear face masks and tinted goggles when working with the katoblepones, more commonly known as murder buffalo.

“Maybe we should get Lord Calamity to play against him,” Viney mused. “Luz said she was pretty dang good.”

“What do we even call her now? Mom Calamity? Illegal Guardian Calamity?”

“The last one sounds way more up her alley.”

Barcus grunted in agreement. Turning in place a few times, he promptly flopped onto his side with a heavy sigh, his tail swatting halfheartedly at the floorboards. Silence filled the room, save for the crackling ambience of stones striking the roof. The weather forecast had predicted shale hail for the rest of the day, and none of them wanted to risk getting stuck outside while being pelted with tiny fragments of rock, so the trio had resorted to an indoors game day. After going through Anarchopoly, Exploding Krakens, Candyland, and multiple rounds of Hexes Hold ‘Em, they were all reaching their wit’s end. Even Barcus, who had won most of the games they played, had lost his enthusiasm for utterly crushing his foes.

“We could try Candyland again?” Jerbo suggested, only to be met with low groans.

“Or, alternatively…” Viney flipped onto her stomach to face the others. “We could talk about how hopelessly smitten you are.”

Jerbo jerked upright. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” he squeaked, his voice reaching an octave he couldn’t have ever imagined. Barcus jumped at the noise, looking about frantically. He swatted an Anarchopoly figurine at Jerbo, only for it to fall to the floor halfway between them.

“Oh, yeah, Barcus completely missed that!” Viney gave her classmate an apologetic glance. “Sorry your petition for installing dog doors in the entryway didn’t pass.”

“Grmf.”

“So, Em and I saw Jerbo on a study date - ”

“We were just working together on our project!” Jerbo protested.

“ _ On a study date _ at the library! I mean, Ed probably doesn’t know it was a study date, but I don’t think he would know romance if it whacked him on the head.”

“It wasn’t a study date!” Jerbo shouted, ignoring how desperately he wished it had been. “He just didn’t have a partner yet for the project, so he asked me. I’m sure I was the last person he wanted to ask.”

Viney hummed thoughtfully. “So he was the one to ask you out, and not vice versa? You’ve been pining after him for an eternity, and you still didn’t make the first move?”

“I am not pining! Maybe have a tiny crush, but that’s it!”

“Rrowf.” Barcus was sitting up straight now, watching intently. Of course he would be listening in. Despite his quiet demeanor, there was no piece of gossip that he did not know. Just one of the perks of both being in the oracle track and having heightened hearing.

“I was spying on the illusions classes to learn about them, Barcus, not because Edric was sitting nearby, ruffling his hair and doing that cute thing with the pencil and the paper!”

“...you mean taking notes?”

“Exactly!”

“Yikes.” Viney whistled softly, impressed. “You have got it bad.”

“Ugh, fine, I fold.” Jerbo flopped back onto the ground. “I am a total gay disaster who cannot function within a five foot radius of Edric Blight.”

“Woomf.  _ (Acceptance is the first step on your journey) _ ,” Barcus grumbled, as profound as always.

“Well, making you snap was a lot easier than expected.” Viney stretched, cracking her back loudly. “That takes us to step two.”

“Uhh, step two?”

“Yeah, step two: get you to ask him out on a date.”

Jerbo made a hacking sound like a hairball had lodged itself in this throat. “What?! No! You are - that is not happening! This is the kind of scheming that’s supposed to go on at girls’ sleepovers, not between us!”

“Okay, first off, I am a girl. Second, I’m now initiating you both as honorary girls. You’re not getting out of this conversation that easily.” Viney made a dramatic show of knighting the two boys with an imaginary sword. “Besides, Barcus already lets me paint his nails.”

Barcus lifted one paw with a smug huff, proudly displaying his colored claws. The polish alternated between a glittering gold and a dark, soothing purple, matching his Hexside uniform.

“I will admit those look nice, but it does not change the fact that you are criminally insane.” Jerbo ran a hand through his mousy hair. “You don’t get it! This is  _ Edric Blight _ we’re talking about! Son of one of the most aristocratic families on the Isles?”

“Yeah, and guess who’s dating Edric Blight’s twin sister? If I can make it that far, so can you.”

“Stop being logical!”

“Okay, look, Jerbo.” Viney rolled off the bed to join the others on the floor. “There are three ways this could play out. You could  _ not _ ask him, in which case you’ll be stuck in an endless cycle of anxiety and infatuation - 

“That’s just my default state of mind...” Jerbo grumbled.

”Or you ask him out, he says yes, and boom, you get the guy! And if he turns you down, which he would do politely and sympathetically, you’re right back at square one.”

“I don’t think my poor, weak heart could handle that.”

Barcus swatted Jerbo with his tail, as if trying to literally knock some sense into him. Viney nodded in agreement.

“Barcus is right. If you don’t do anything, it’ll just keep eating you up inside. Do you want to go out with Ed?”

Jerbo felt like he was sweating buckets. “Maybe a little…” he said hoarsely, wiping his clammy hands on his trousers. He would prefer being stuffed inside an iron maiden to this.

“It’s a yes or no question, dude.” Viney crossed her arms, staring at him expectantly.

“...yes.” It was barely more than a whisper, but he knew without a shred of doubt that it was true.

“See? There you go. Now you just need - ”

Whatever Viney was about to say was interrupted by the door banging open. Luz skidded into the room, gasping for air and shaking pieces of shale out of her hair.

“I’m sorry I’m late! What are we doing? Did I miss anything? Where’s Puddles?” The words streamed out of the human’s mouth too rapidly to follow. She was covered in a fine layer of dust, her clothes unkempt and torn.

“Did you run here?! While it was shaling outside?!” Viney shrieked.

“Well, only part of the way, and I had my hood up, so - ”

“Those rocks are falling at terminal velocity! You are coming with me.” Grabbing Luz’s arm, Viney began marching her out of the room, before calling over her shoulder, “Jerbo, Barcus, grab some gauze and ointment from the cabinet in the bathroom. I am not going to be the one responsible for explaining to Lord Calamity why this nutjob is covered in cuts and grit.”

  
  


====

  
  


Fifteen minutes of bandaging later, Luz was still brimming with energy. While Viney inspected her for any cuts and bruises, she recounted her harrowing tale of fending off a horde of skin-eating fairies with nothing but an old mop and her glyphs. It turned out that mops were much more deadly weapons than expected, especially when imbued with ice magic and being wielded by a teenager hyped up on sugar.

“You should’ve seen it! I was like MacGyver, if MacGyver had magic and a playlist of anime openings.” She puffed out her chest in pride as Viney wrapped one final piece of gauze around her head. A piece of shale had nicked her right above her eyebrow, leaving a nasty cut behind, but most of her injuries had been minimal. They had dodged a scolding from the Owl Lady, at least for the time being. “I think the cool poses I struck intimidated them, too.”

“I’m just going to pretend I understand whatever bizarre human reference you made.” Viney snipped off the end of the bandage, humming as she assessed her work. Pleased, she spun the human around to face the bathroom mirror. “What do you think? I call this look the Half-Finished Mummy.”

“I dunno…” Luz began, but Viney immediately cut her off.

“Well, too bad! You have to keep the bandages on. Doctor’s orders.”

“Ugh, fine,” Luz sighed, drumming her fingers absentmindedly against her scraped knee. “So! What did I miss? Has anyone beat Barcus at Hexes Hold ‘Em yet?”

Jerbo shrugged. “Nothing much. Just lying around on the floor and certainly not discussing anything important. Nothing at all.”

Viney let out a series of loud, blatantly fake coughs, whispering in between breaths. “We’re trying to convince him to ask out Ed.”

That immediately piqued Luz’s interest. “Ooh, witchy romance!” She clapped her hands together, squealing excitedly. “I’ve never gotten to do this before! What’s the plan?”

“You’re asking me? I have no idea…” Jerbo fiddled with the hem of his shirt, avoiding their expectant stares. “What about you, Viney? What did you do?”

“Oh, I didn’t really do anything at all. The first time I met Em was when she came up to me in the cafeteria and asked what school I went to.” She chuckled fondly at the memory. “I enjoyed teasing her for a while, then I just… asked? Don’t get me wrong, it was still scary, even when Em was about as subtle as Jerbo.”

“I know you’re right, but I still resent that statement…” Jerbo cut in.

“But the point is that there isn’t really a right way to do it. Half the time, you don’t even plan it.  _ If _ ,” she looked pointedly at Jerbo, “you get out of your head and stop letting fear push you around.”

Jerbo pursed his lips.  _ Easy enough for you to say. You’re Viney! You’ve always been extroverted and confident. I’m just me. _

Luz was hunched over her pad of paper, scribbling furiously. While it was generally used to keep a stock of backup glyphs at the ready, Luz had torn out a blank sheet and was hastily jotting down notes on Viney’s monologue. “Oh yeah, this is great material. It has Hecazura written all over it…”

“What, do you really need my flirting tips that badly?” The beastkeeper poked the human’s cheek to get her attention.

“Hey! You never know when you might need it. Besides, the only flirting ideas I have are from fanfiction and those cheesy romance telenovelas my Mami would make me watch with her.”

All three witches flinched inwardly. Luz had avoided opening up about happened that night at Belos’s fortress, but they knew enough to piece together that her time on the Boiling Isles was much more permanent than planned. She never seemed that down about it, but it was a topic none of them were willing to broach quite yet. If Luz ever wanted to talk about it, she would, and they would be there to listen, no questions asked.

Viney was the first to break the silence. “I wouldn’t think you would need pickup lines or some other goofy trick. You’ve already made tons of friends here. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was someone out there with a thing for you.”

“Thanks, but… I don’t think so.” Luz murmured, tapping her pencil rhythmically against her notepad. Just like Jerbo did when he was anxious. “I, uh, wasn’t very popular in the human realm. At all. Making so many friends is enough for me.” She tried to give them a reassuring grin, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Anyways, enough of that! Here, Jerbo, I’ll write down a list of romance tropes! Ooh, there’s the beach day, of course. And ‘There Was Only One Bed,’ of course. And…”

  
  


====

  
  


Emira was dragged out of her stupor by the sound of her scroll buzzing. With a tremendous amount of effort (and a string of curses), she managed to reach all the way across the bed to pick it up and drag it to her ear.

“Em, are you there?” Viney’s voice crackled from the scroll, slightly distorted.

“Hm? Yeah, I’m here. What’s up?”

“Sorry, were you busy?”

“Wha-? No, I was just watching the latest episode of  _ The New Housewitches of Bubonic Hills _ .” She shoved the crystal ball out of the way, which was now frozen on the image of Xolgrun Thee Dreadful, ranting about tacky wallpaper.

“Oh, no, please don’t tell me you watch that.” Viney sighed, as if she had already begun to contemplate a break-up.

“I feel like ‘watch’ is too strong of a word. It’s more like I sit there and let the show occupy my senses so I don’t have to entertain my deeper thoughts.”

“Okay, that I can understand. How are the others?”

“Amity is doing some massive abominations project for extra credit. Why she would voluntarily take on extra work is a mystery. Meanwhile, Ed is… y’know, Ed. He’s started taking walks in the woods near our place. Sometimes he comes back covered in dirt and dead leaves.”

“Mmm. You remember Jerbo?”

“The guy from the library?” Em scooted further upright, intrigued. “What about him?”

“In short, the dude is absolutely head-over-heels for your brother.”

“... _ why? _ "

“Ask him, not me. Anyways, he’s a nervous wreck. He’s too busy overthinking this to actually try anything. I’m not going to force him to confess or anything, but he needs a nudge in the right direction. Or maybe more of a rough shove.”

“Ohhhhh, I’m picking up what you’re putting down.” Emira grinned slyly, her mind already abuzz with ideas. She had originally developed this strategy for Amity’s sake (and also to see her turn into a bright pink mess), but her sister had been more proactive in spending time with Luz than expected, so it had fallen to the wayside. It would be a shame to never get some good use out of it, though. “Operation Blood Lily?”

“Operation Blood Lily,” Viney affirmed. “We can go over details later. I would hate to continue interrupting your session of lying around and binging shows.”

“Sounds good. Good night, Tiny Viney!”  
  
“Good… oh, you did _not_ just say that. You will have hell to pay the next - ”

Emira hung up with a resounding click, unable to wipe the devilish smirk off her face.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I couldn't resist bringing Luz in. She's one of the troublemakers now, even if she's not ready to fully open up to them yet. Now the kid has insecurities and trauma from both Earth AND the Isles. Obviously, this isn't a Luz-centric fanfic, so I'm not delving into her ample number of problems. I just wanted to flesh her out as more than just being Amity's crush. She might not acknowledge Amity's feelings yet, but I don't think that's out of obliviousness...
> 
> There was a distinct lack of Edric this chapter, but fear not! He shall come back full-force. Possibly with some slight character development. Who knows? Well, I do. And now you're probably suspicious that there will be.
> 
> Also, thanks to DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon for creating blood lilies, which I not-so-subtly slipped in there.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! I've had this idea for a while, because these boys deserve love in the fandom, too.
> 
> Also, if anyone's curious for whatever reason, I like drawing a lot on actual cryptids and putting them into fanfics as Easter eggs, so you can probably expect more of them. Boll was inspired by the Lamb of Tartary, aka how Europeans rationalized cotton when they heard it was like wool growing from plants, and the splintercats are inspired by a North American cryptid of the same name, albeit with small creative differences in their description. Just imagine a cougar with a plate of bone on its head that it uses to crush trees. Lastly, the dobhar-chú is essentially a dog-otter-fish monster that lives in lakes. I just thought that Barcus needed another Canine Comrade(tm).
> 
> Similarly, I like planting Easter eggs from other fanfics, too, so those might appear in the future as well. Viney and Emira already know that Redstone Bakery is a prime date locale.


End file.
